Page 127 - 1975 BoSox

120 ’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL
that any Cuban player who failed to return to Cuba by the end of November would lose all his property and be required to have a 1962 contract in order to receive a visa. Among those who chose to remain outside Cuba and pursue their major-league aspira- tions were Luis Tiant with the Mexico City Tigers and Diego Segui, the ERA leader for Hawaii of the Paci c League.
Segui worked his way up the Athletics minor-league system until the 1962 season, when he joined Kansas City, nishing 8-5 in 37 games (13 starts). After three more years as a starting pitcher for a dreadful team, Segui was sold to the Washington Senators as the 1966 season got under way but was reacquired by the Athletics (for pitcher Jim Duckworth) on July 30. At the time of that deal he was pitching in the minors and nished the season with Vancouver, the A’s Paci c Coast League a liate. Many fans as well as reporters were enthused about his highly anticipated return to Kansas City. At spring training at Bradenton, Florida, in March, 1966 pitching coach Cot Deal, interviewed by Joe McGu of the Kansas City Star, said, “You know, I think this guy has as much stu as Juan Marichal. Naturally, he doesn’t have the control Marichal does, but Marichal’s stu isn’t any better. Segui’s forkball is outstanding. I’d say it’s almost as good as Lindy McDaniel’s, and McDaniel has the best one in the business. Segui’s fastball is good, his slider is good and his curve is getting better.”2
But, Deal was asked, if Segui’s stu is so outstanding, why did he have so much trouble winning games? After his 8-5 record in 1962, he was 9-6 in 1963. ere was an opinion brewing that Segui was on his way to a record pitching career, but he dropped to an 8-17 record in 1964, and the next year, he posted a dismal 5-15 record. Dissatis ed with Segui’s performance, Ed Lopat, the Athletics’ executive vice president, cut his salary.
Coach Deal opined that Segui’s lack of e ectiveness was all a matter of control and a need to improve his delivery. (Deal thought Segui kicked too much with his left leg and brought his arm back too far, making it easier for runners to steal on him and upset his pitch
delivery.) Deal was con dent that Segui could work out these problems, but for 1966, Diego Segui was just another pitcher ghting for a spot on the Athletics’ roster, and Deal decided to make him a special project, spending extra time in an attempt to improve his control and delivery. But the special attention did not pay o . Segui was put on waivers before the start of the 1966 season, and he was picked up by the Washington Senators, for whom he had a 3-7 record in 1966 with an ERA of 5.00. He returned to the Athletics in 1967, and moved with them to Oakland in1968, all the time posting mediocre records.
In the expansion draft after the 1968 season, Segui was taken by the new Seattle Pilots. With the ill-fated Pilots in 1969, he had a good season, winning 12 games and losing 6 while pitching mostly in relief, and was named the Pilots’ most valuable player. Charlie Finley, owner of the A’s, regretted losing Segui, believing the A’s would have won the American League West divi- sionifhe’dstayedinOakland.WhenthePilotsfolded after the 1969 season and the team was sold to a Milwaukee group, Finley got him back in a trade.
e A’s intended to turn Segui into their primary right-handed reliever in 1970, but in late June they team made him a starter. Segui went 8-6 the rest of the season, nishing with a 10-10 record and leading the American League with a 2.56 ERA.
Segui’s repertoire of pitches and mound quirks exas- perated batters and umpires. He took his time, rubbed the ball between each pitch, and defended himself against allegations of using a spitball when he blew on his hands. He took leisurely strolls around the edge of the mound while blowing through his right st, and rearranged the dirt in front of the pitcher’s rubber with his right foot. At times he paused between pitches by standing still, staring at the out eld while working on the ball, in deep contemplation as tension at home plate rose to an unnerving level. Joe Garagiola criti- cized Segui’s pitching performance before the 1975 World Series and described his delivery as “like spread- ing ether over the ballpark,” prompting the outraged pitcher to confront Garagiola before Game Five and attempt to get an apology out of him for the insult.